Oxygen demand regulator



0d. 15,1946. w s 2,409,327

OXYGEN DEMAND REGULATOR Filed March 2, 1943 '4 Sheets-Sheet 1 gvwam/kw LEONARD A.W\GGINS Get. 15, 1946. L. A. WIGGINS OXYGEN DEMAND REGULATOR 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 I 7/ IIIIIIIIIIVIIIIIL 7/! LEONARD A.WIGGI NS 4 Sheets- Sheet 3 LEONARD A.WIGG'|N$ L. A. WIGGINS OXYGEN DEMAND REGULATOR Filed March 2, 1943 Oct. 15, 1946.

I Oct. 15, 1946. 1.. A. WIGGINS OXYGEN DEMAND REGULATOR Filed March 2} 1943 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 LEONARD A. WIGGINS Patented Oct. 15, 1946 v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,409,327 OXYGEN DEMAND REGULATOR Leonard A. Wiggins, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio Application March 2 1943, Serial No. 417,715

This invention relates to improvements in oxygen regulators of the demand type wherein oxygen or a mixture of oxygen and air is passed through a maskinto the mouth or nose of a person using the regulator as such person inhales.

More particularly the device is intended for use by persons at high altitudes, such as pilots, crewmembers and passengers .of airplanes, but the principles involved are also applicable to supplying oxygen to patients in hospitals, and the mechanism is available to administer certain types of anaesthetics.

There have been several prior devices suggested for use in supplying oxygen to aviators at high altitudes, but for one reason or another these devices have been unsatisfactory. It is very important that the oxygen regulator function properly under all conditions of service, and at high altitudes a failure of the device may result in loss of life in as little as thirty seconds.

It is an object of this invention to provide an oxygen regulator of the demand type which is absolutely reliable under all conditions of service, the oxygen flow being under control so as to furnish the proper amount of mixed air and oxygen at certain altitudes, and to insure an adequate supply of oxygen alone at higher altitudes.

Another object is to provide a regulator of the type referred to having a chamber in which a diaphragm is mounted in a novel manner to cause an oxygen control valve to operate upon inhalation by the user of the device. initial operation of the control valve, itis another object to provide for further-operation thereof either by continued inhalation, or inthe alter! native to supplement the action of inhalation by utilizing the oxygen or mixture during its passage to the user as a means for assisting inhalation in operating the valve.

A further object is to provide novel means to insure the presence of suflicient pressure on one side of the diaphragm to operate the control valve, when the pressure on the other side of the diaphragm is reduced either by inhalation alone, or by the latter supplemented by the action of the oxygen or mixture.

A further object is to provide a novel oxygen control valve with positive spring means forseating the valve at all times when it is not unseated by the action of the diaphragm, and to so arrange the valve that pressure of the oxygen tends to seat the valve and to keep it seated. l

A further object is to pass the oxygen into a mixing chamber for oxygen and air with a whirling action whereby the motion of 'the oxygen After the 4 Claims. (01. 137-453) towards its outlet provides an injector action,

which tends to draw with it towards the outlet,

air admitted into the mixing chamber.

A further object is to provide a novel manu ally operated means for preventing the admission of air into the device whenever desired, in addition to a Sylphon bellows which automatically. controls the admission of airin accordance with the altitude at which the device is operating. A further object is to provide anovel manually operated emergency valve for lay-passing oxygen into the mixing chamber to insure a supply of. oxygen for the user of the device in the event anything goes wrong with the regular supply, and this by-pass arrangement can also be used to supplement the regular supply when desired.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a rear view broken away, i

Fig. 2 is a side view, i Fig. 2ais it an enlarged fragmentary section a the'device with parts taken substantially on;line- 2a2a of Fig. 2;

Fig. 3 is an enlargedvertical section taken substantially on line 3 -3 of Fig. 7, Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view ofa portion of the front of the device'looking in the direction of line 4--4 of Fig. 3, Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary section show ing the emergency valve, q t r Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken substantially on line 6-45 of Fig.5, I Fig. 7- is an enlarged rear view showing some of the interior parts in broken lines, Fig. :3 is an enlarged fragmentary section show! ing the air control mechanism, and a V Fig. 9 isan enlarged fragmentary section ShOWfi ing the mounting forthe pivoted plate in the diaphragm chamber. Referring to the drawings the numeral I0 des-. ignates the front wall of an annular housing, indicated as a whole by the numeral Illa, and having a side wall II, which housing is preferably formed of Bakelite or other suitable material. The walls I0 and H in conjunction witha rear cover plate 12 define a chamber l3 which will be called thediaphragm chamber. Cover plate, [2 ispreferably formed of metal and its flange I4 is secured to wall II by a plurality of spaced screwsli- .1

The cover plate l2 holds in place against the end of wall H, a perforated member such as a screen i6 which isslightly greater in area than 3 the opening covered by plate l2. As shown in Fig. 3, the flange I4 of plate [2 is provided with a plurality of openings I! at spaced intervals, which openings are in line with screen l6 and consequently permit communication with the atmosphere through the rear of the housing Ina. These openings I! are purposely placed in the side of the device to prevent accidental closing thereof which might occur if the openings were in the cover plate proper instead of the flange and the device was being carried in contact with the body of the user or some fiat surface.

Inwardly of the screen It, a rubber diaphragm I8 is arranged in the housing, being folded at its edges 19 and having an annular head .20, prefer.- ably formed of wire or other inextensible material, which fits snugly in a cut-out portion 2| formed in wall H adjacent screen l6, leaving the end 22 of the diaphragm extended beyond the bead and in engagement with screen It. This arrangement provides a snug fit for the diaphragm against the screen and permits the atmosphere, through openings H, to communicate onlywith the space 23 between the cover plate l2 and the wall of the diaphragm.

The front surface of diaphragm I8 is in engagement with one face of an annular metal plate 24 having an upper extension 24a which is pivoted on pin 25 mounted in oilite bearings 25 carried in an extension 21 of the annular-housing a. Extension 24a is folded over pin 25 and downwardly upon itself as indicated at 28 (Mg. 3) and plate 24 may be corrugated as at 29 to strengthen same. The area of the pivoted plate 24 is preferably slightly less than the area of the face of the diaphragm in engagement therewith so that all movement of the diaphragm toward plate 24 will instantly move the latter with the diaphragm without any lost motion.

On the inner face of wall ID, the lower end of a flat spring 30 is secured by means of bolts 3| or the like, while the upper end of this spring is bifurcated as at 32 (Fig. '7) to fit into a groove 33 formed in the valve head 34 of an oxygen control valve, indicated as a whole by the numeral 35. The outer end of valve head 34 is in engagement with the upper portion of the pivoted plate 24 just below-the pivot pin 25-and spring 30 has a normal bias tending to maintain this engagement by constantly urging valve 35 toward the left as viewed in Fig. 3.

Valve 35 is preferably formed of a suitable metal and in addition to its head 34, comprises a stem 36 to which is connected the valve body 31 which is formed semi spherical adjacent the stem and has an enlarged flattened end 38. The valve head '34 is slidable in a passage '39 and closes one end of this passage at all times to prevent oxygen from entering chamber l3. The opposite end of passage 39 is surrounded by an apertured valve seat 40, preferably formed of rubber, the arrangement being such that when the semispherical portion of valve 35 is in engagement with the valve seat 40, as shown in full lines in Fig. 3, oxygen cannot pass into passage 39. It will be noted that spring 35, in addition to holding the valve head 34 against the plate 24, also serves to keep valve 35 tightly seated when the diaphragm is-in the full-line position of Fig. 3. The flattened end 38 prevents fluttering of the valve'and provides an enlarged surface against which the pressure of the flow of oxygen seeking to pass valve 35 will be exerted, thus enabling the oxygen pressure to supplement the action of spring 30 in seating the valve and keeping it seated. In the event the spring 30 should break, the flow of oxygen will be sufiicient to cause the valve to seat.

Leading from chamber [3' through extension 21 of housing Illa is a passage 4| (Fig. '7) that communicates at its upper end with an outlet chamber 42, which in turn communicates with a passage 43 in an outlet fitting 44 secured to the housing extension 21 as by means of bolts 45. The outlet fitting 44is adapted to be closed, when not in use, by means of a cover plate 46, pivoted at 41 to the outer end of a pair of spaced ears 48 carried below the fitting 44.

Cover plate 46 can be swung downwardly, as in F gs, 1 and 2, and a nozzle member 49 forced into tightengagement with the fitting 44. This nozzle member is connected to one end of a hose (not shown) the other end of which leads into a face mask (not shown) in the usual man ner.

To initially operate valve 35, the wearer of'the mask inhales through the hose, which action; through the medium of passages 4| and 43 and outlet chamber 42, causes at least a partial evacuation of chamber l3 on one side of the diaphragm 18. This results in a lowering of the pressure on one side of the diaphragm While the pressure in space 23 on the other side thereof is not changed. Hence, there will be greater pressure on the latter side of the diaphragm which will cause the diaphragm to enlarge and move to approximately the broken-line position shown in Fig. 3. Movement of the diaphragm will move the pivoted plate 24 to approximately its broken-line position, which movement will slide valve 35 to its broken-line position and permit oxygen to fiow past the valve into passage 39. It will be apparent that at any time the spring 30 exerts a greater force on plate 24 than the diaphragm exerts thereon, valve 35 and plate 24 will be returned to their starting position. For this reason the spring 30 should not be so strong as to prevent the operation of the diaphragm when there is pressure per square inch acting on the diaphragm equivalent to about /10 of an inch water pressure or greater.

' Oxygen is supplied to the device from a suit able source (not shown) and any conventional means may be utilized for reducing the pressure of the oxygen, which is usually at about 500 lbs. per square inch, to about 25 lbs. per square inch,

' 'as my device will'readily operate with oxygen at such reduced pressure. A supply hose (not shown) is connected to an inlet fitting 50 secured as by screws 5| to extension 21 of housing Illa, preferably on the opposite side from the outlet fitting 44. A screen 52 may be placed at the end of the passage 53 in the fitting 50 to prevent the entrance of any foreign matter into the passage.

From the inner end of passage 53, oxygen is conducted through a passage 54 in extension 21, which latter passage leads downwardly into an oxygen chamber 55 formed in an annular casting 56 having flanges 51 for securing the casting to the housing extension 21. The inner end of casting 56 engages the rubber valve seat member 49) whereby when valve 35 is unseated, oxygen will flow from chamber 55 into passage 39.

Passage 39 communicates with the lower end 58' of an arcuate passage 59 (Figs. '7 and 8),, the upper end 60 of which is in communication with a mixing chamber 6| formed in housing extensionr2'l. Mixing chamber 6| communicates with outlet chamber 42 through a reduced o ening 62,

formed between these two chambers.

Means are provided for permitting the en vent the entrance of any foreign matter with the air. Screen 6'! is held in place by a flanged cover plate 68 secured to the block 63 by screws 69. Openings 64 and 65 communicate with each other through a small annular opening 16.

The upper opening 65 in block 63 has one end of a flat spring H secured therein by means of a pin '12 suitably mounted in the block, and the other end of this spring is connected to a disc 13 formed of mica or Bakelite or other suitable material, the connection being through a some-" What elongated pin 74 that will allow the disc 13 to remain in a position to close opening when moved from the full-line position to the clotted--v line position shown in Fig. 8. Cover plate 68 is provided with an opening 15 (Fig. 8) in which is pivoted a cam lever 16 having a flat cam surface 'I! on its lower end, which surface engages spring H. When lever 16 is in the full-line position of Fig. 8, the spring H and disc 13 are in their fullline or raised positions, so that admission of air to chamber 6| is permitted. But when lever 15 is turned to its broken-line position in Fig. 8, spring H and disc 13 will be depressed to the broken-line position to shut oil the passage of air to the mixing chamber 6|. Thus, the user of this device can manually close or open the air passage to the atmosphere.

When the manual control is arranged to permit air to enter the device, I also provide an automatic control for the air in theform of a Sylphon bellows 18, the operation of which is well understood in this art.- To accommodate this bellows a socket 19 is arranged in housing extension 2'! to receive the lower end of the bellows. Socket l9 communicates with opening 64 in block 63 whereby the bellows in itgunexpanded position will extend into opening 64 below opening 70. The bellows will gradually expand, due to decrease in atmospheric pressure as a user of the device ascends to higher altitudes, and the present bellows is intended to vary from an unexpanded position which is maintained from sea level to about 5000 feet to a fully expanded position at about 30,000 feet. When fully expanded the disc 80 on the upper surface of the bellows will close opening 10 and prevent the entrance of air into the device, as indicated in broken lines in Fig. 8. Thus, the user of my device is furnished with a controlled supply of air that is diminished during ascent and increased during descent.

As previously mentioned, the oxygen enters the mixing chamber through the arcuate passage 59, which passage concentrates and whirls the oxygen toward the outlet chamber 42; the movement of the oxygen being in such manner that an injector action is produced whereby the oxygen tends to draw the air with it toward the outlet chamber 42. This injector action continues as long as air is admitted to the mixing chamber but will not be effective whenonly oxygen is admitted.

It will be apparent from the fortgoing that either oxygen or a mixture of air and oxygen is directed through the outlet chamber 42 and into the mask of the user of the device whenever the control valve is unseated, and the action of the latter valve under normal use will follow the breathing of the user, opening during inhalation and closing during exhalation.

In Figs. 2 and 7 I have shown an arcuate baffle 42' arranged in outlet chamber 42 adjacent the end of passage 4|. This bafile is used when it is desired to have the diaphragm l8 operate solely by inhalation of the user, and when it is omitted, as in Fig. 2a, the action of the oxygen or mixture of air and oxygen as it passes through outlet chamber 42 toward the users mask, will draw gas from diaphragm chamber l3 through passage 4| and thus supplement the action of inhalation in evacuating chamber l3.

When bailie 42' is omitted the action of the oxygen or mixture in drawing gasfrom chamber l3 reduces the suction required to operate valve 35 by inhalation (after the initial opening of valve 35 by inhalation), which reduces the pressure on the lungs of the user, and this becomes quite a factor when the device is used for long periods of time, more particularly at highaltitudes. Also omission of the baille allows flow of the oxygen mixture to build up a positive pressure in the hose and mask. This positive pressure is desirable under certain conditions at high altitudes. When the bafile is used it intercepts the flow of the oxygen or mixture out of chamber 42 and. produces small eddy currents in the region of passage 4| Which eliminate any tendency of the oxygen or mixture to draw gas through passage 4|.

Whether or not the balile is used, Valve 35 will close during exhalation. The use of baffles of varying sizes will produce conditions between the two extremes mentioned.

In the outlet chamber 42 means are provided to close the opening 62 in the event gases of ex halation seek to enter the mixing chamber 6|. This means comprises a vertical disc 8|, movably mounted on a plurality of pins 82, in this instance adjacent the bottom of the face mask, or at some other pointin the system. If, however, the exhaling valve should fail to function and the exhaled,

gases pass down the hose line leading to the outlet chamber 42, such gases will strike the disc 8| and move it to the broken-line position'of Fig. 2a,

shutting off the opening 62 and thereby preventing the entrance of such gases into the'mixing chamber. In this manner, very little, if any, contamination of the oxygen or the mixture of air and oxygen in the mixing chamber by gases of exhalation is permitted. I

.We come now to the emergency valve which is located in the front of the device; As more clearly shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5, an annular extension85, preferably formed of Bakelite is placed outwardly of flange 51 on casting 56, and the latter, extension and a cover plate 86 are secured to housing extension Z'l by means of a plurality of spaced bolts 81. The outer face of extension member 85 is' cut away to form a. space 7 88. which is partially covered by the cover plate 86, said space88 extending from line 89 to line 9.9 as shown on Fig. 4. A raised area 9|, shown shaded on Fig. 4, and preferably raised about at of an inch, is formed on the lower left-hand surface of the front face of extension-85 for purpose to be described.

Mounted in the cut-away portion 88 is the flat upper end of a small handle 92 secured to a stub shaft 93 which is rotatable in a central opening formed in extension 85, said shaft being preferably surrounded with a rubber sealing ring 93. Shaft 93 has a longitudinal opening 94 extending from its outer end to a point adjacent its inner end an a sm coil spr n 951s arran ed in t is opening, said spring bearing at its outer end against cover plate 86 and at its inner end against the rear .wall of the opening 95.

Shaft 93 acts as a valve and its inner end extends into an opening 96 formed in casting 56, and in the position shown in Fig. 3 engages one face of a preferably rubber washer or valve seat 91 having a central aperture 98 and additional apertures, which in this instance are oppositely disposed side apertures 99 cut in the outer peripheral portion of the washer. The central aperture 98 is in communication with the oxygen chamber 55 by means of a small opening I99 formed in casting 55, but oxygen cannot pass into opening 96 as long as the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 3, with shaft 93 closing aperture 98 and with casting 56 serving to close apertures 99.

Leading from opening 95 is a passage IIlI formed in extension 85 which communicates with a passage I92 extending through flange 5! and into housing extension 21, the latter passage in turn communicating with a. passage I93 which leads to the mixing chamber 6|.

The emergency valve is operated by turning handle 92 from the full-line to the broken-line position shown in Fig. 4. Since the need for this emergency valve usually arises, if at all, at high altitudes, and since the user is ordinarily equipped with heavy gloves, I provide means to facilitate turning handle 92 with such gloves. Such means comprises wide wing portions I04 formed on the lower end of handle 92, and these wing portions can be quickly contacted by a gloved hand to operate the emergency valve.

When the handle 92 is turned to the brokenline position of Fig. 4, it moves outwardly about 1%,: of an inch upon engaging the raised surface 9Iand moves the shaft 93 forwardly against the action of spring 95 for about the same distance so that the parts are approximately in the position shown in Fig. 5. When the parts are in the latter position oxygen will pass from chamber 55 through opening I99, through one or more of the openings in valve seat 91 into opening 95, from which it is free to enter mixing chamber 6| through the passages IBI, I92 and I93. Thus, an emergency supply of oxygen is provided which will pass from the chamber 6| through the hose leading to the mask of the user of the device.

To shut oil the emergency valve, it is only necessary to return handle 92 to its full-line position in Fig. 4, at which time spring 95 acting against plate 86 will move shaft 93 tightly against valve seat 91 and shut oif the flow of oxygen.

There are several features in connection with this emergency valve which are believed worthy of note. The handle 92 can be quickly manipulated by a user of the device and it is frictionally held in its broken-line position by its engagem with h area 9 this fric ona engag ment than to close it, and this is desirable because the.

emergency valve is needed quickly, if at all, b t there is seldom any need to rush the closing oper.- ation.

Another feature of this emergency valve resides in the provision of the washer or valve seat 91 having peripheral openings in addition to the central opening. If only the central opening is provided, as is customary, movement of the dece to differe t os tiens by the s r or by ac on o the ai af Ca ing th m g t Jam the member 9.! against the end of shaft 93 and thus shut off the flow of oxygen through the central aperture 98. Since, however, the outside diameter of member 91 is greater than the diameter of shaft 93, and the apertures 99 are located in the pe riphery of member 91 so as to allow passage Of oxygen past the end of shaft 93, it is impossible for the flow of oxygen to be shut off regardless of the position occupied by member 91 while the valve is open. Thus, the emergency valve can be said to be fool-proof.

It is believed to be apparent that the invention is well calculated to secure the objects and ad.-. vantages intended, and while I have shown and described the preferred form of the invention it will be obvious that modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or from the scope of the subjoined claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a regulator of the character described having at least an inlet chamber and an outlet chamber and a valve between said chambers, a diaphragm chamber, a diaphragm mounted in said chamber and operable by atmospheric pressure to open said Valve, and means to insure the provision of such pressure comprising a perforrated member rranged between said diaphragm and a wall of said diaphragm chamber, a different wall of said diaphragm chamber being provided with a plurality of openings leading to the atmosphere adjacent said perforated member. t

2. In a. regulator of the character described having at least an inlet chamber and an out.- let chamber and valve between said chambers, a. diaphragm chamber, a diaphragm mounted in said chamber and operable by atmospheric pres= sure to open said valve, and means to insure the provision of such pressure comprising a screen arranged between said diaphragm and the rear wall of said diaphragm chamber, the side wall of said diaphragm chamber being provided with a plurality of openings leading to the atmosphere adjacent said screen, whereby said openings will not be accidentally closed when the regulator is worn against the body of the user.

3. In a regulator of the character described having a chamber adapted to receive gas under pressure, a control valve in said chamber preventing the flow of said gas out of said chamber when seated, a diaphragm chamber, a diaphragm mounted-in said chamber and being expandable by differential pressure between the sides thereof, a pivoted plate in constant engage? ment with said valve, said plate being movable upon expansion of said diaphragm to unseat said valve and allow said gas to leave said first-named chamber, spring means acting on said valve to seat same whenever the force exerted by said spring is greater than the force expanding said diaphragm, the gas flow and pressure in said firstnamed chamber supplementing the action of said spring, said force acting to expand said diaphragm being atmospheric pressure, and means to insure the provision of such atmospheric pressure comprising a perforated member arranged between said diaphragm and a wall of said diaphragm chamber, a different wall of said diaphragm chamber being provided with a plurality of openings leading to the atmosphere adjacent said perforated member.

4. In a regulator of the character described having a chamber adapted to receive gas under pressure, a control valve in said chamber preventing the flow of said gas out of said chamber when seated, a diaphragm chamber, a diaphragm mounted in said chamber and being expandable by differential pressure between the sides thereof, a pivoted plate in constant engagement with said valve, said plate being movable upon expansion of said diaphragm to unseat said valve and allow said gas to leave said first-named chamber, spring means acting on said valve to seat same whenever the force exerted by said spring is greater than the force expanding said diaphragm, the gas flow and pressure in said first-named chamber supplementing the action of said spring, said force acting to expand said diaphragm being atmospheric pressure, and means to insure the provision of such atmospheric pressure comprising a screen arranged between said diaphragm and the rear Wall of said diaphragm chamber, the side wall of said diaphragm chamber being provided with a plurality of openings leading to the atmosphere adjacent said perforated member, whereby said openings will not be accidentally closed when the device is worn against the body of the user.

LEONARD A. WIGGINS. 

